Yongsan-gu Focuses Administrative Efforts on New Coronavirus Response

Emergency Quarantine Task Force Activated: 4 Teams, 11 Members Working 24 Hours... 3 Active Surveillance Targets in the Area Monitored Up to 14 Days... 'Budget Briefing' and Other Events Indefinitely Postponed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seongjanghyun) is focusing administrative efforts on responding to the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection' that originated in Wuhan, China, and is spreading globally.

Since the 21st, the district has been operating an emergency quarantine task force. The head of the task force is the district mayor, and 11 members across 4 teams (General Team, Epidemiological Investigation & Patient Management Team, Medical Institution Management Team, Vaccination Team) work 24 hours a day.

The main duties include patient report reception, patient consultation, daily situation reporting, management and support of self-quarantined individuals, patient and specimen transport, discharged patient management, and infection control in medical institutions.

A district official stated, "We have responded according to the MERS response procedures from 2015, which involved 186 patients and 38 casualties," and added, "As of the 28th, there are 3 foreigners under active monitoring in the area."

Active monitoring targets are individuals who have visited Wuhan or have had contact with Wuhan pneumonia patients and show respiratory symptoms such as fever and cough. The district orders these individuals to self-isolate and maintains periodic contact for up to 14 days for monitoring.

Additionally, the district plans to immediately report suspected cases to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emergency Situation Room (☎043-719-7979) and transport patients using the health center’s special ambulance equipped with negative pressure devices to city-designated isolation beds.

When a suspected infectious disease patient visits the health center, an epidemiological investigation is conducted at the air tent (screening clinic) set up in the basement level 1 of the district office building. The Seoul Metropolitan epidemiologist is requested to classify the patient, and a thorough investigation of contacts is also conducted.

The '2020 City-District Budget Briefing Session' scheduled for the 30th has been postponed indefinitely. All other large and small events will also not be held until the situation stabilizes.

The district also urges residents to prevent novel coronavirus infection by ▲washing hands for more than 30 seconds ▲wearing masks ▲observing cough etiquette ▲exercising caution for the elderly and those with chronic diseases and refraining from visiting patients ▲and reporting to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call center (1339) if fever or respiratory symptoms occur.

Yongsan District Mayor Seongjanghyun said, "The quarantine task force continued emergency duty even during the recent Lunar New Year holiday," and added, "The district will do its best to ensure that not a single unfortunate incident occurs in the area until the novel coronavirus is eradicated."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed the fourth domestic case of novel coronavirus infection on the 27th and raised the infectious disease crisis alert level from 'Caution' to 'Warning.' The government plans to actively promote early detection of suspected cases and management of contacts in cooperation with local governments.

Screening Clinic

Health Management Division (☎2199-8090)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.